Cover Stories
by just-a-story
Summary: How do you know if you're doing the right thing?
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI**

~CHAPTER ONE~

Cam sat at his desk trying to figure out his chemistry homework. He dropped his pencil and ran his hands through his hair thinking about how he couldn't let Alli tutor him again considering what happened earlier in the week when he attacked Zig in front of the whole school.

"Campbell?" A woman's voice asked as she tapped her knuckles on the door.

He stared down at his paper and then turned around in his chair. He cleared his throat trying to hold back his emotions. "Yeah?"

The blonde haired lady entered the room and took a seat at the edge of his bed. "What happened?"

Cam didn't say anything he just looked down at his floor.

"You were so happy when you got back from Spring Break and then..." she paused. "Campbell I need to know why you got suspended." she said in a harsh tone.

"Did the school call?" he mumbled as he still avoided eye contact.

The woman sighed. "Yes but..."

Cam closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead.

"But I would like to hear you're side of the story." she continued.

Cam remained silent.

"I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

Cam looked up. "I guess I just wasn't thinking."

Mrs. Clarkson sighed. "Campbell I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Is there anything the kid may of done to you?"

Cam looked back down. "No."

The woman let out another big sighed. "Well..." she started out. "you may want to give you're mother a call. Let he know what's going on."

Mrs. Clarkson leaned over to grab Cam's phone off his nightstand and tossed it to him. He caught it and looked up at her.

"Might want to call her before dinner time." she said. She took one last look at Cam and smiled before getting up.

He watched as she shut the door and looked down at his phone. He pressed the button on the bottom to turn the screen on. He took his thumb and started to scroll through. His heart sank and he began to clench his jaw.

**Maya **1hr ago **  
**_'How are you? Just wanted to let you know, I was never mad at you about Spirit Week. Just concerned. 3 '_

**Maya **30m ago**  
**_'Miss you at school, hang out later?'_

_**Maya **__10m ago__**  
**__'Hey Cheesey! I just remembered, where's Hoot ;) '_

Cam took a deep breath. He slid his tumb across his phone. _'6...2...9...2"_

He held his breath and began to type. _'It's over, I'm sorry." _

* * *

The next morning at school Maya walked into her English class. She saw Tristan as always, and Zig was sitting in the far corner. She sighed and before she really knew what she was doing she took the seat next to Zig.

"Alright class, please take out your book reports and turn to the person next to you to start your peer edit.

'Damn.' Maya thought. The one day she actually sat next to him it was a peer edit...

Zig opened up his backpack and grabbed his folder. "Okay you want to you first or should I?"

For a moment Maya didn't say anything. She was too busy thinking about Cam. She hasn't heard from him since she found out he got suspended. She reached into her backpack and turned on her cell phone. She waited for it to turn on and when it finally did she stared at her phone. _It's over, I'm sorry.' It's over, I'm sorry.' It's over, I'm sorry.' It's over, I'm sorry.' It's over, I'm sorry.' _She kept re reading it over and over yet it didn't make sense.

"Maya?" Zig asked.

Maya whipped a tear from her eye and let her phone fall back into her bag. She quickly zipped it shut and got up from her seat. She stormed out of the classroom without looking at anyone.

"May-" The teacher started but Maya was already half way down the hall.

* * *

**"**Maya, pass the peas?" Katie asked as she finished putting a peice of chicken on her plate.

Maya continued to poke her piece of food with her fork.

"Maya sweetie, will you give the pease to your sister?" Mrs. Matlin asked.

Maya didn't say anything.

"Earth to Maya Matlin." Katie said waving her hand at her sister.

"What?" Maya said as she looked up.

Katie looked at the pease. "Can you hand me the peas?"

"Oh yeah sorry." Maya said as she put her fork down.

"Everything okay?" Mrs. Matlin asked as she cut her food. "You haven't been yourself since you came home from school today."

Maya shrugged. "I'm okay."

Mrs. Matlin looked at Katie who then looked at Maya.

"Really!" Maya said with a small laugh. "I'm fine."

After dinner ended Maya went up to her room to practice her cello. She looked up when a small knock came from the other side of her door.

"Come in." She said as she put her cello down.

"Hey." Katie said as she closed the door behind her. "You got a minute?"

Maya didn't say anything, she just watched as her sister sat on her bed beside her.

"I told you, I'm fine." Maya said as she began to pick up her cello agian.

"Really?" Katie asked. "Cause that's what most people say when they're not."

Maya let out a small sigh and put her cello down.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Katie asked.

"Will you drive me to Cams?" Maya asked.

Katie laughed. "Maya it's almost 7:00."

Maya looked at her sister with a straight face.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Maya gave her sister a little smile.

A few minutes went by and they could both see the apartment building Cam lived in with his billet family.

"So why are we going to Cams?" Katie asked.

Maya sighed. "He sorta...broke up with me..."

"Maya!" Katie nearly yelled.

"What?"

"You can't just show up at his house!"

"Why not?"

Katie turned into the apartment parking lot. "Because!" She said while trying to find a parking space so she could talk to Maya face-to-face.

"Katie please, I know something's wrong."

Katie parked the car and turned to her sister. "Maya..."

"Katie..."

Katie sighed.

"Besides..." Maya said as she reached into her backpack. "Someone's gotta give him his French homework."

Katie shook her head. "10 minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

**I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI**

~Chapter Two~

Maya walked down the hall on the level Cam's apartment was on. She went down the main hallway of the 12th floor. She raised her left hand and before she could tap her knuckles against the door she stopped. She didn't even know what she was going to say. "Here's Cam's French homework." wouldn't work. She already had to make up some ridiculous excuse why she had to give Cam his homework by tonight and not when he got back along with all his other work. She let out a deep breath. She was about to turn around when she accidently knocked over the fake plant. The ficus feel onto the carpet and made a loud bang as the plastic pot hit the floor. "Damn ficus" Maya mumbled as she bent down to pick up the fake tree.

"Hello?" A woman's voice asked.

Maya looked up and saw Cam's billet mother standing in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" Mrs. Clarkson asked looking down at Maya.

"I'm..." Maya looked quickly back down at the plant. She picked up the small tree and repositioned it in the hall. "I'm Maya. I'm in Cam's French class."

Mrs. Clarkson looked at the ficus then back at Maya.

"I have Cam's homework."

"I thought the school said they were going to give it to him when he got back." Mrs. Clarkson said crossing her arms.

Maya looked down at the paper's she had in her hand then back up at Mrs. Clarkson. "It's a project. She wanted me to give it to Cam so he could get a head start." Maya paused. "It's 30% of our final grade." She lied.

Mrs. Clarkson nodded. "Well I appreciate you dropping it off"

Maya forced a smile as she handed Mrs. Clarkson the work. "She also wanted me to explain it to him." Maya added quickly. "If…that's okay."

Mrs. Clarkson sighed. "Well I don't know very much French, so by all means." She stepped out of the dorm room and lead Maya through the foyer and took a left followed by another left. "He's right in there."

"Thanks." Maya said as she took the paper's back from Cam's billet mother. She stood there in front of Cam's door for a moment and waited until she turned the corner. She knocked on Cam's door and waited for a moment.

"Come in." Cam said thinking it was his billet mother.

Maya slowly opened the door and walked in.

"Maya?" Cam asked with a worried expression on his face.

"I have your French homework." She said as she placed it on his desk.

Cam didn't say anything.

"So uh...how are you?"

"Fine." Cam said while shrugging his shoulders.

Maya nodded. "That's good."

Cam nodded.

"Anyway," Maya said as she looked at the homework she put on Cam's desk. "Guess I'll see you around."

Cam didn't say anything.

Before Maya opened the door she turned back around. "And just for the record, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you in Simpson's office."

Cam looked up at Maya.

"But I'm at a loss Cam. I'm not asking you as your girlfriend." Maya paused remembering Cam broke up with her eariler that afternoon. "I'm not asking you as your ex." Maya paused again. "I'm asking you as someone who care's for your well being." She made her way closer to where he was sitting on his bed. "What happened?"

Cam swallowed and looked up at Maya. He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath. He fixed the sleeves of his sweatshirt and crossed his arms.

They both looked at eacher with confused expressions. Both looking into eachother's eyes trying to figure it out. He wanted to know why Maya bother to go see him and she wanted to know why he lost it.

"Cam! I'm going to the grocery store, I'll be back. There is money on the counter for you to order a pizza if you get hungry." Mrs. Clarkson yelled forgetting Maya was there.

They both heard the door shut and Maya looked at the ground.

"I didn't want to break up with you, I just..." Cam took a deep breath. "I just didn't want..."

Maya looked at Cam for a breif moment and as she moved her eyes back down to the carpet her's eyes stopped and her eyebrows creased. "What happened to your arm?"

Cam looked down at his arm. "Just a scratch from practice."

"Underneath all that padding?" Maya asked.

Cam shrugged his left shoulder, "It's not big deal."

Maya grabbed Cam's arm and Cam pulled back. She looked up at him with worried eyes.

"Maya, come on it's nothing."

"Let me see your arm."

Cam didn't say anything.

"Cam..."

He looked down at his arm.

"What's the big deal? It's just a scratch, I just want to get you a cloth."

Cam looked back up at Maya.

"Cam." Maya laughed. "Come on it looks kinda deep."

Cam sighed and gave Maya his arm. "It's really-"

She pulled up his sleeve and her eyes grew wide. "What is this?" She asked under her breath. "How did this happen?" She continued to look at all straigh six horizontal lines going up his arm. "Who did this?"

Cam swallowed.

"Did you do this?" she asked in disbelief.

"Maya..." Cam forced a laugh.

"Tell me why these are here Cam." Maya pleaded.

He took a deep breath. "Maya, I'm not some loser who hurts himself."

"Then tell me why there are six cuts on your arm." Maya asked.

"I'm just...um..." Cam looked around the room and closed his eyes for a quick seconds. "I'm sad." He paused. "And I just want it to go away."

"Cam..." Maya started out.

He rolled his sleeves back down and took a deep breath.

"I just don't want you to do something drastic..." Maya paused.

"Well I'm running out of idea's on how to make it go away."

Maya sighed. "We'll you have this whole week off..."

Cam laughed. "Yeah 'cause I gave Zig a black eye."

"Just don't focus on that right now." Maya said grabbing one of his hands.

Cam didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you in Simpson's office. I was just...worried. And that's why I came because I was worried about you."

Cam continued to stay silent.

"I know it doesn't seem like it now but things will get better. And I...if you let me...will be by your side all the way."

Cam turned to look at Maya. He gave her a small smile.

"One little tiny smile at a time."

Cam laughed. "Thank you."

"Of course."

They both smiled and eacher until they were only an inch apart. They closed the gap between there lips and Cam pulled back. "I think we both deserve, some pizza." He said with a smile.

Maya nodded, "I would really like that but Katie is waiting for me in the car."

Cam nodded as Maya got up. "Maya, really..."

Maya turned around before leaving the room.

"Thank you."

She smiled and left the room making her way down the apartment complex stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

**I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI**

~ Chapter Three~

Cam was lying on his bed while looking up at the ceiling wondering how the heck he got himself in this position. He let out a deep sigh thinking about having to go back to school the following week. He raised his left arm up in front of his face and looked at the four solid horizontal cuts on his arm. One for being called a psycho, one for getting suspended, one for making a fool out of himself in front of Dallas and the team, and the last one for transferring to Degrassi in the first place. He looked up at the solid white ceiling and everything just felt still. He hated the way this felt, being homesick, these dark days being away from home. He just wanted to be back in his own bed at his own home with his own family. He wished he could just fall asleep and never wake up. He turned on his side and grabbed the x acto knife that he had brought home to work on a model French project. He grabbed the small thin knife and rested in along his skin. He gently pushed down and dragged it across. He didn't even know what he was doing, it just seemed to happen. This was all his fault, if he just had stayed home non of this would have happened. He watched as for one second his skin was normal and the next blood was apearing on the thin line if almost by magic. He looked at the blade on the small knife when he heard foot steps coming closer to his door.

"Cam?"

He jumped and looked quickly at the door.

"Can I come in?" Mrs. Clarkson asked.

Cam tossed the small knife behind is bed. "Yeah." He croaked.

Mrs. Clarkson walked in and gave Cam a sympathetic look. "You okay?"

Cam forced a smile. "Yeah, why?"

Mrs. Clarkson smiled. "Just wanted to check up on you and let you know I was home."

Cam slowly nodded.

"That was nice of your friend to drop off your French project."

Cam nodded again.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Why?"

"Well, you just look like you're gunna cry."

Cam clenched his jaw as hard as he could and forced a smile. "I'm fine."

Mrs. Clarkson smiled. "Okay." She paused. "I'm gunna go make myself something to eat."

"Okay." Cam said with a smile. He watched as Mrs. Clarkson walked out and closed the door. He thought about Maya and part of him was happy she didn't seem to take it too seriously. But on the other half, he knew he need to tell someone how bad it really was but did he _really_ want that? People concerned about him 24/7? Constantly asking questions? Why Campbell? Why did you do that to yourself? Or you know you're not alone, right? Or how about Dallas? The whole hockey team finding out? He took a big breath and let it out slowly. He continued to breath slowly trying to forget what had happened. His eye's eventually closed and he fell asleep.

A few hours later his opened his eyes back up again. He turned on his side to face his alarm clock. _3:36._ He wasn't able to stay asleep since Maya left.

He let out a big sigh. He didn't even want to go back, he just wanted to stay in this room and sleep. Forever, and never wake up. He knew what Maya said, _"I know it doesn't seem like it now but things will get better."_ He wanted all this pointless crap to just go away. Now. He didn't feel like waking up anymore and having to deal with it. Hockey, Degrassi, being homesick, any of it. He didn't want to wait because he felt like he couldn't. He felt he was running out of oxygen and people kept telling him he _will_ be better. But he felt like his time was running out. He didn't wan't to go to sleep anymore because he didn't want to wake up the next morning.

How did he even get himself in this position? He wanted to just pack his bags and leave and never come back to Degrassi. Ever. Never even come back to Toronto. Ever. He wished his family would just come save him. Save him from this hell. His mother warned him he may get homesick but did he listen? No. It had to do with hockey. He loved hockey. Well he did anyways. Not after all this crap it put him through. He took one look at his clock. _3:37_.

He grabbed the knob on his nightstand and opened up the small drawer. He pulled out a photograph of him back home with his family before he left for Degrassi. He stared at his family who seemed to be smiling back at him. His eyes shifted to himself. He stared at the picture of himself for a second. He couldn't even recognize himself anymore. He just wanted to go back, back to where he felt like himself, back to where it felt like home.

He didn't understand why he felt this why or how he even got into the position he was in. He just wanted it to end. He knew he was running out of time, he knew that it was only a matter of time that he had before his head convinced his body to make a final decision. He knew what he was thinking would hurt Maya but he also knew it would be better for her. He thought back to when it first all began he thought it was just a bump in the road. The hockey skate cutting into his hand, just another breakdown, and it'll go away. But little did he know that 'temporary' thing was slowly becoming his reality and all he could do it watch it change. He he knew no matter how hard he tried, no matter who said what, there wasn't a single thing he or anyone could do to change it. Because that is his reality. And everyone said to him, "give it time." His parents said, he would get said he would get used to Degrassi. Maya said, give it time, it will get better. Mrs. Clarkson said on his first day, "Give Degrassi time, I think you'll like it." Everyone said give it time but he realized that sometimes time is what killed him the most.


	4. Chapter 4

**I DO NOT OWN DEGRASSI**

Maya went over to the freezer and grabbed the box of waffles. She grabbed three when her mom came around the corner.

"Maya honey.." Her mom said as she went over to her daughter.

"Morning Mom." Maya said with a smile as she put the waffles in the toaster.

"Maya, you don't have school today." Mrs. Matlin said.

Maya furrowed her eyebrows and turned around to face her mother. "Why? It's April. Not a snow day." Maya laughed.

"I don't know, the school called earlier and said Degrassi was closed."

The waffles popped out of the toaster. "Thats weird...where's Katie?"

"She went for her run."

Maya nodded. "I guess I'll just call Cam and see what's he's up to." She said before taking a bite out of a waffle then leaving the room.

Mrs. Matlin nodded as she wheeled herself out of the kitchen. She heard the front door open and saw Katie standing in the door way. "How was your run?"

Katie took out her earbuds one at a time and paused her ipod. "Fine." She said quickly.

"Everything alright?"

Katie walked to the fridge to get a water bottle. "The was a bunch of police cars at Degrassi." Katie said after taking her first sip.

Mrs. Matlin gave Katie a worried look. "Police cars?"

Katie nodded as she took another sip.

"That's odd. Did you talk to Marisol? She's usually pretty up to date on these things."

"And I'm not?" Katie joked.

Mrs. Matlin smiled. "I guess I'll just watch the news." She said as she made her way into the living room.

Katie looked down when her phone went off. "Amber alert?" She said under her breath. "Hey mom?"

"What?"

"Did you get an Amber Alert on your phone last night?"

Mrs. Matlin looked at her daughter. "No, I left my phone at the office last night. But I blocked those from Maya's phone so don't tell her."

"Do you think that's why Degrassi is closed?"

Mrs. Matlin shook her head.

"Mom..." Katie said as she read the alert said to her phone.

Mrs. Matlin turned on the TV. "What?"

"The missing kid was Cam."


End file.
